Welcomed by the wide square windows, sunlight draped across the polished floor. Thick maroon blackout curtains hung at either side of the wide window, framing it like a passage to the veranda beyond. Through the glass, the orchard stretched quietly, as if stepping outside would offer a clearer view of the Hawthornes' richness. 

Anton strolled the luggage on the side of a wooden wardrobe. The edges were carved like roses, stems, and petals as if they hadn’t been used for years. A scent of the polished wood lingered in the air. It seemed the servants of the mansion had just cleaned them recently. 

To Liam’s right was a bay window, opened to the breeze. Its lace curtains swayed gently with each gust of the fresh wind. Next to it stood a bedchamber, furnished in a vintage, old-style, with timeworn elegance, and had been carefully preserved over the years as if he had stepped into the 19th-century Victorian era. He winced his brow, standing in front of it, pondering. But felt nothing.

When Anton noticed his deep silence, he asked, “Is there something wrong, Liam?” He was still not used to calling him by Liam’s first name. He opened the vintage wardrobe with a soft creak, revealing it was empty. He looked back at Liam, who was quiet for a moment. 

“Nothing,” Liam said softly. He walked toward the wide window and pushed it open, letting a gust of wind rush through him, fresh and refreshing. Closing his eyes, he drew in a slow, steady breath. “I’m finally free,” he mumbled. Anton was watching over him in the background, thinking that he had never seen Liam feel carefree in his life. 

Liam strolled forward, seeing the vast orchard, smelling the sweet scent of fruits that lingered in the entire estate. He leaned against the veranda’s handrail. In his wistful eyes, he felt so peaceful. He glanced back at Anton with a warm smile, a soft glow of golden light behind him, as though the sunlight itself softened when he turned away from it. 

“Come and join me, Anton,” he smiled warmly, tracing back to the fruit grove, adding, “The view here is indeed mesmerizing,” he looked above the blue sky. A few birds flew far away in the land. 

Anton strolled forward and stood beside Liam to his right. Seeing the fields rolling softly beneath an endless sky, Anton found himself captivated by the calm, steady, enduring scenery. His glance drifted toward Liam’s, a soft-spoken expression, a quiet grin, his gaze set far ahead like a child set free. 

In that moment, Anton felt strange in his chest―his heart pounding as though he were beginning to feel more than simple fondness, something deeper he could not yet name. Perhaps he was grateful to be treated as an equal, which he had never experienced before. 

“I wish we could stay here longer, Anton,” Liam spoke softly, looking at the grounds of the estate. A few people passed by, teasing each other like brothers. He thought they were the farmers working in the orchard. 

“Oi, Toby, where are you garn now? A tall man said aloud, carrying loppers and pruning saws. “Go on, fetch the crates, you daft bor.” He teased. “Oi ain’t no daft bor, you ole fool,” Toby spoke, mocking, who scratched the back of his head. A few of their folks just laugh it off. Their voices lingered in the air that Liam and Anton could hear. 

Liam could barely understand their Suffolk slang, but he still found it amusing in his own way. He grinned as their voices faded into the air. Anton had the feeling that Liam didn’t want to go back to Belgavria, as the hush of wind drifted around them, leaving a quiet calm behind. 

“Do you not wish to return to your parents’ home?” Anton asked, leaning his arms against the veranda’s handrail, overlooking the workers tending the blossoms of the apple trees. 

Liam, too, rested his arms on the handrail, fidgeting with his left fingers. “I don’t see why not,” he said. “I’m turning twenty soon. I can find my own place, a flat or somewhere where I can live independently. 

I’m not afraid of working if it means I can stand on my own without relying on my parents' money. Besides, I am better off not living in that cold, empty house,” he added, meeting Anton’s eyes as the cool wind brushed gently through their hair. 

For a moment, Anton was taken aback by Liam’s honesty. He had never seen him so vocal as he was now. Perhaps Liam had simply been waiting for the right moment to be truthful with himself at last. So, Anton smiled at him, feeling relieved. 

“And here I am, thinking you were so delicate you might not even survive in this cruel world,” Anton said sincerely. “But I suppose you make the right choices for your life… where you don’t have to suffer anymore, Liam.” His eyes curved into a grin. 

“Of course,” Liam said. “I may have suffered a lot in school. But it’s all in the past now, and it’s time for me to move on and walk in a path where I see myself growing,” he looked back on the farmland. “So, while we are here, let’s make the most of it. Enjoy, and live a life fruitfully.” His smile was warm like the sun, and Anton couldn’t help but stare in the quiet space between them, where only the wind moved to soothe their thoughts. 

“Then…shall we explore the outside?” Anton spoke warmly, and Liam looked at him innocently. “Only if you are not tired, Liam. We can take a look around the grove, if you like,” he added. The earthy scent of the estate wafted through the air, and Liam grinned tenderly, feeling comforted by Anton’s warm voice. 

And Anton felt a sudden pounding in his heart―again. 

He suddenly noticed that he and Liam were the same height.